Conduit closure



April 1943- E. A. NAHM 2,315,644

CONDUIT CLOSURE Filed Jan. 12, 1940 /7 L :w 2/ I 23 /9 I 29 i .-..----L Fig.1.

ELL-9671.6 Nahm INVENTOR. BY f dflcfz mw ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 6, 1943 CONDUIT CLOSURE Eugene A. Nahm, Baldwin, N. Y., assignor to S. F. Bowser & Company, Incorporated, Fort Wayne, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Application January 12, 1940, Serial No. 313,607

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a closure for a conduit which prevents access to the interior of the conduit by being locked in place within the interior of the conduit. More specifically, it relates to a plurality of relatively rotatable elements which are actuated by a locking mechanism and which in one position are of less diameter than the bore of the conduit and in another position have a diameter greater than the bore so that they may engage a recess provided for their reception.

It is an object of the invention to provide a closure of the type indicated which may be readily inserted and removed.

Another object of the invention is to provide a closure of the type indicated which is freely removable from the bore when it is in the unlocked condition.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the type indicated which is provided with a four-way lock.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a device of the type indicated which is adapted to permit passage of a gauge stick into the con duit while the device is in place.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a device of the type indicated which is easy to manufacture but which is rugged.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a conduit closing and locking arrangement in which the locking means is protected from foreign matter.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent from the study of the attached specification and drawing which forms a part thereof and in which:

Figure 1 is an elevation with parts broken away showing the conduit and the locking means therefor.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-4 of Figure 1 showing the locking device in plan.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1 showing the locking mechanism from the bottom.

Figure 4 is an elevation of the locking means without the conduit as it would appear viewed from the right side of Figure 2 and showing the gauge stick in place.

Reierring now to Figure 1, numeral l is used to indicate a conduit which may be the fill pipe of the ordinary underground gasoline storage tank which is fitted with a fill box 3 which is usually set in a concrete driveway. The fill box is fitted with a gasket 5 and is internally threaded to receive a cap 1 which seats on th gasket to provide a seal about the upper portion of the fill box. The cap is also provided with a wrench socket 9 so that it may be removed from the fill box when necessary. The fill pipe I is threadedly received in the lower portion of the fill box, as shown, and a recess ll separates the two sets of threads and is adapted to receive the locking members l3 and I5 later to be described.

The upper lock element i5 is integrally mounted upon the barrel ll of a four-way lock indicated generally by the numeral l8 and which is constructed in accordance with the following patents: James A. Muzzio, numbered 1,563,914; 1,564,883; 1,594,297; 1,693,144 and others, and Andrew Main 1,886,822 and others.

A rotatable element l9 projects from the barrel of the look at its lower side and has fixed thereto a triangular plate 2| which carries two upstanding studs 23; and these, in turn, at their upper ends support the locking member l3 as clearly shown in Figures 1 and 4.

The elements l3 and 15 are substantially circular in form. The element I5 is mounted eccentrically on the barrel of the lock and the element l3, which is perforated to ride loosely upon the barrel of the lock, is also disposed eccentrically with respect thereto. The amount of eccentricity is preferably the same in the case of each element.

The element [5 is-provided with a V-shaped perforation 25 which passes vertically therethrough while the element 13 is provided with an arcuate slot 21 which is wide enough to permit passage of the gauge stick and which is long enough to permit rotation of the elements l3 and 15 to and from locking position without necessitating the removal of the gauge stick.

A pin 35 is set in the barrel of the lock and proiects axially thereof into a peripheral notch 31 in the rotatable element iii. The pin and slot serve to limit the relative rotation of the elements l3 and ii to approximately fifty degrees although it is obvious that the degree of rotation may be varied to suit the requirements.

The fact that the gauge stick may be in place at the time the elements l3 and 15 are relatively rotated facilitates the operation in that the gauge stick serves as a means for holding the element l5 while the element 13 is rotated by means of the key.

Operation In operation it is necessary first to insert the key in the key receiving slots 3| and to hold the gauge stick. Rotation of the key while the gauge stick is held will rotate the projection IQ of the lock, the plate 2i studs 23 and the lower locking member it until it comes into substantial vertical alignment with the upper locking member ii. The greatest diameter across the two locking members will then be less than the internal diameter of the upper threaded portion of the conduit and the entire assembly may be readily withdrawn.

The key and loci: are so formed that the key cannot be withdrawn from the look when the locking members occupy the described aligned position. To replace the locking device the process is performed in the reverse direction whereupon the key will be freed and the plug 1 may be replaced. In the locked position the greatest diameter of the locking elements it and I 5 is greater than the internal diameter of the upper threaded portion so that the device cannot be removed from position in the conduit.

Since the key can be removed only when the locking members I; and i5 are in the closure locking position and since the plug 1 cannot be laced in position when the key is in the lock. complete rotation of the member i3 to locking position prior to replacement of the plug 1 is insured. The internal diameter of the conduit i is less than the diameter of either of the locking members so that the locking device cannot drop down into the conduit.

The gauge stick 29 is provided with a bent over end 33 so that it cannot pass entirely through the upper locking member I5.

It is obvious that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of parts, and accordingly, applicant does not desire to be limited to the specific construction herein disclosed by way of example; instead. he desires protection falling fairly within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim to be new and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States of America is:

1. In combination with a conduit having an inner, annular, circumferential recess, a locking device comprising a lock element superposed. fixed and movable, disc shaped locking members eccentrically mounted on said lock element and both adapted to engage in said recess, and key actuated means for moving said movable locking member to and from recess engaging position.

2. In combination with a conduit having an inner, annular, circumferential recess, a locking device comprising a lock barrel, a. circular locking element eccentrically fixed thereto, a movable circular locking element eccentrically mounted for rotation on said barrel to and from unlocking position, said locking elements being arranged so that both will enter and engage in said recess, said locking elements being in substantial alignment in the unlocking position of said movable element, and a key actuated lock for moving and locking said movable element.

3. In combination with a conduit having an inner, annular, circumferential recess, a locking device comprising a lock barrel having a rotatable key actuated element, a spider connected to be driven by said rotatable element, a disc shaped locking element mounted on said spider for eccentric rotation about said barrel, and a fixed, disc shaped locking element eccentrically mounted on said barrel, said spider being formed to dispose said movable locking element immediately adjacent said fixed locking element so that both elements may enter said recess.

EUGENE A. NAH'M. 

